8 Indian spy movies to watch on OTT: From Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Pathaan’ to Alia Bhatt’s ‘Raazi’

Spy is an interesting genre to watch on the big screen. Over the past few years, filmmakers have delivered some really well-written stories. These are filled with some twists and turns and strong performances, always making for an exciting watch. So, let’s take a look at eight of these movies, including the Shah Rukh Khan starrer blockbuster Pathaan and Alia Bhatt’s intriguing spy tale Raazi.

Best spy movies on OTT platforms

1. Pattern (2023)

• Execution time: 146 minutes
• IMDB rating: 5.9/10
• Movie star cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, John Abraham
• director: Siddharth Anand
• Writer: Sridhar Raghavan, Abbas Tirewala
• Release year: 2023
• Where to watch / OTT platforms: Amazon Prime Video

Shah Rukh Khan is back on screen after a gap of around five years with Pattern. In it, he plays the role of a RAW agent who fights Jim (played by John Abraham), a former RAW agent who has gone rogue. This movie is packed with great action scenes, great patriotic messages, and songs worth listening to.

2. Ek Tha Tiger (2012)

• Execution time: 132 minutes
• IMDB rating: 5.6/10
• Movie star cast: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif
• director: Kabir Khan
• Writer: Kabir Khan, Neelesh Misra
• Release year: year 2012
• Where to watch / OTT platforms: Amazon Prime Video

Kabir Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger launched the YRF Spy Universe, which is now one of the biggest series in Bollywood. The story is about a RAW agent (Salman Khan) and his girlfriend, an ISI agent (Katrina Kaif), who meet and eventually fall in love. It’s one of the best movies in the entire series, and one you don’t want to miss.

3. Raj (2018)

• Execution time: 140 minutes
• IMDB rating: 7.7/10
• Movie star cast: Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal
• director: Meghna Gulzar
• Writer: Bhavani Iyer, Meghna Gulzar
• Release year: 2018
• Where to watch / OTT platforms: Amazon Prime Video

‘Raazi’ is directed by Meghna Gulzar and written by Meghna Iyer and Bhavani Iyer. The film is based on Harinder Sikka’s 2008 novel Calling Sehmat. It tells the story of a RAW agent (played brilliantly by Alia Bhatt) who marries the family of a Pakistani military officer in order to leave behind information before the 1971 India-Pakistan war. The film was a huge critical and commercial success, making it a must-see. That painful suspense.

4. Vishwaroopam (2013)

• Execution time: 150 minutes
• IMDB rating: 7.9/10
• Movie star cast: Kamal Haasan, Shekhar Kapur, Jaideep Allawat
• director: Kamal Haasan
• Writer: Kamal Haasan, Atul Tiwari, Chakri Toleti
• Release year: 2013
• Where to watch / OTT platforms: hot star

Vishwaroopam, co-written, co-produced, starring and directed by Kamal Haasan, was one of the most ambitious and talked-about films of 2013. The film has an impressive cast of actors and a tightly woven story. This is the story of a classical dancer whose true identity is revealed when his wife hires a detective.

5. Mission Majnu (2023)

• Execution time: 129 minutes
• IMDB rating: 7.1/10
• Movie star cast: Siddharth Malhotra Rashmika Mandanna
• director: Shantanu Bagki
• Writer: Parveez Sheikh, Aseem Arora
• Release year: 2023
• Where to watch / OTT platforms: Netflix

In Mission Majnu, Sidharth Malhotra plays the role of a RAW agent who heads to Pakistan for a coveted mission before and during the 1971 war. The film also stars Rashmika Mandana, Parmeet Sethi, Sharib Hashmi, Kumud Mishra and Rajit Kapoor. If you are interested in spy stories and espionage, you can enjoy this movie on Netflix.

6. Madras Cafe (2013)

• Execution time: 120 minutes
• IMDB rating: 7.6/10
• Movie star cast: John Abraham, Raashi Khanna, Nargis Fakhri
• director: Shoojit Sircar
• Writer: Juhi Chaturvedi, Somnath Dey, Tushar Jain
• Release year: 2013
• Where to watch / OTT platforms: Netflix

Shoojit Sircar’s Madras Cafe remains one of the best-made films in the spy film or spy genre. The story focuses on the Sri Lankan civil war from the 1980s to the 1990s. The film stars John Abraham, Raashi Khanna, Nargis Fakhri and others. After its release, it received positive reviews from critics and won the National Award for Best Audio.

7. D-Day (2013)

• Execution time: 151 minutes
• IMDB rating: 7.2/10
• Movie star cast: Rishi Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Arjun Rampal, Huma Qureshi
• director: Nikkhil Advani
• Writer: Nikkhil Advani, Ritesh Shah, Niranjan Iyengar
• Release year: 2013
• Where to watch / OTT platforms: Amazon Prime Video

D-Day follows several RAW agents as they plan to capture the leader of India’s most wanted company, D. It featured a great ensemble star cast including Rishi Kapoor and Irrfan Khan, who gave some of their best performances on the big screen. If you like dark spy stories like this, you’ll thoroughly enjoy this movie.

8.Baby (2015)

• Execution time: 159 minutes
• IMDB rating: 7.9/10
• Movie star cast: Akshay Kumar, Taapsee Panu, Kay Kay Menon, Anupam Kher
• director: Neeraj Pandey
• Writer: Neeraj Pandey
• Release year: 2015
• Where to watch / OTT platforms: hot star

Akshay Kumar and Neeraj Pandey come together to deliver one of the most well-written spy thrillers in Bollywood. Filled with tense moments, action, and strong performances, Baby remains one of his best Indian films in the genre. It also inspired a prequel spin-off titled Naam Shabana.